b'Local Government Lawyer 7anyone in the office so sometimes it just feelsTable 5: Based on your experience of the pandemic so far, how difficult have the following the same. I think I would benefit from moremanagement challenges been when many staff have been remote/hybrid working? online meetings/team building to assist with(Management survey)feeling like I was part of something and not just a lone worker where it really doesnt2% Much morematter what I do on a day to day basis. Maintaining morale 12% 58% 16% 12%More established lawyers dont appear to have these issues as often as those startingEnabling team working 9% 47% 26% 16% 2% Moderatelyout in their careers. I am 61 and approaching retirement, so am happy to work, mainly unsupervised. However the lack of face to face9% 65% 26%regular and easy supervision and mentoring has significantly affected young colleagues and fully remote working has impacted on them.26% 65% 7% 2%We have lost staff due to this. It is a majorModeratelyissue. 21% 40% 23% 14% 2% remotelyManagement is conscious of this too. Maintaining morale is the single biggest management problem identified by HeadsMonitoring of quality of work 5% 23% 70% 2% remotelyof Legal in this survey, with well over half reporting difficulties. Fifty-eight per cent viewed morale as moderately more difficultTable 6: How would you personally prefer to work in future? (General survey)when staff are remote, and a further 12% reported that it was much more difficult19%(Table 5).When asked about the individualOnce a month or less 10%challenges that remote working now poses, one head of legal said that maintaining the0.5 days per week (or one day per fortnight) 14%department energy that was always present when the department was in has been22%difficult. They added: Lone working is not necessarily healthy or functional. 21%A main concern is staff welfare and to maintain contact so as to continue the team ethic, another said. 9%In the summer 2020 survey, 30% of lawyers found working remotely to negatively affect3%morale. Since then, lawyers experiences of feelings of isolation and a lack of motivation2%have worsened, with just over half (53%) reporting that it was an issue. Of those lawyers, 16% said that it was a major issue,Staying in contact we heard reports of lawyers taking part in and 37% said it was a minor issue (Table 1).For lawyers who reported that feelings ofremote drop-in coffee mornings, book clubs, For all the catch-up chats over zoom andisolation and a lack of motivation have notyoga, mindfulness, quizzes and even a walking team quizzes that some managers host inbeen an issue (46% of respondents), whatclub.an attempt to help, the problem remainspractices do they say help? But some also say that the proactive use unsolved for many. Many say sporadic office visits and weeklyof video-conferencing software, such as zoom catch-ups have been helpful. Going intoMicrosoft Teams, has been enough to fill the No place like home? the office on occasion has helped to improvesocial void left by the move to remote work.Considering the ups and downs that remotefeelings of isolation, one lawyer said. We are a small team of 9 and have worked lawyers have experienced since the onset ofAnother who said isolation was an acutehard to keep in touch with twice-weekly catch the pandemic, what do they think about theissue during the initial lockdown added thatups on Teams.continuation of remote working? One thingit [improved] as the year went on and nowOur Manager is very good at keeping is clear: Despite the ongoing issues, mostI dont find it an issue, albeit I have beeneveryone connected and we have weekly lawyers have not grown tired of their homegoing into the office a bit and it is possibleteams meetings and video calls with each offices. that it would become problematic again withother.In fact, enthusiasm for full-time remoteprolonged spells of homeworking. Another said: We use teams effectively to working has grown by six percentage pointsIn some cases, departments have usedcommunicate with clients and colleagues and in 2021 (13% in 2020 compared with 19%extracurricular activities to help connect teamI actually find it easier to get to speak with in 2021) (Table 6). When asked what theirmembers in less formal settings. For example,people when working remotely.'